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Like a Reckless Lover with the Dünya Ensemble

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Like a Reckless Lover with the Dünya Ensemble Divane Aşık Gibi Like A Reckless Lover with The Dünya Ensemble and special guests Erkan Oğur/kopuz, voice and İsmail H. Demircioğlu/saz, voice Friday, October 10, 8:30pm, Harvard University, Paine Hall directed by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol The Dünya Ensemble Engin Günaydın/percussion, voice Robert Labaree/çeng, percussion, voice Cem Mutlu/percussion Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol/voice, ud, saz, duduk The focus of this program is Turkish folk music, with an emphasis on the traditional song form deyiş. The program will feature the widely-renowned duo Erkan Oğur and İsmail Hakkı Demircioğlu who, over the past ten years, have created a new contemporary standard for the performance of this repertoire, bringing the distinctive music of the ethno-religious group from Anatolia known as Alevi and the music of the Turkish folk singer-poets known as aşık to a wider audience outside of Turkey. The Dünya Ensemble will supplement the duo's unique sound in an interactive musical dialogue. The concert culminates in a combined performance. I. Divane aşık gibi /Like a reckless lover At the heart of this concert is the complex character of the Anatolian troubadour called aşık, a Turkish word with at least two meanings: “one who is in love” and “singer-poet”. In each of the sections of the program a particular aspect of the aşık is featured. This first set begins with an energetic instrumental introduction followed by a love song which gives its name to the title of this concert. Karabağ (instrumental) from Artvin Divane Aşık Gibi from Trabzon-Maçka Divane aşık gibi da dolaşurum yollarda Like a reckless lover I wander Kız senun sebebune kaldum İstanbullarda… Girl, because of you I ended up in Istanbul … II. İnsan ol cihanda bu dünya fani Be a decent man in this life, this world is only temporary The religion practiced by the majority of Turks migrating from Central Asia between the 10th and 12th centuries was a heterodox form of Sunni Islam. During the 16th century, this heterodoxy deepened under Shiite influence from Iran, giving rise to the Alevi/Bektaşi traditions in the heart of Anatolia. Today in Turkey, the Alevi are considered to be a distinct but prominent minority group, defined both by an ethnicity rooted in central Asia and by religious practice. As the songs in this set demonstrate, a good number of the Turkish singer-poets, or aşıks, have been identified with the Alevi. In the first song, the Alevi approval of wine puts the group in direct opposition to the “zahit” or ascetic Muslim: “We drink, and there is no sin in it for us”. Ey zahit şaraba eyle ihtiram Text: Harabi Ey zahit şaraba eyle ihtiram Oh you ascetic, show respect for wine İnsan ol cihanda bu dünya fani Be a decent man in this life, this world is only temporary Ehliye helâldır, naehle haram For the capable it is lawful, but for the incapable, it is forbidden Biz içeriz bize yoktur vebalı We drink, and there is no sin in it for us Bir kız ile bir gelin from Fethiye Bir kız ile bir gelinin bahsı var… There is talk about a girl and a bride… Bugün ben bir güzel gördüm from Tokat Bugün ben bir güzel gördüm I saw a beauty today Bakar cennet sarayından Looking at us from a heavenly palace Kamastı gözümün nuru I cannot even open my eyes Onun hüsnü cemalinden because of its beauty III. İçerim yanıyor dışarım serin /I may appear to be cool, but inside I am burning Asıks are well known for performing secular love songs which are also laden with religious symbolism. Several times in the concert, the nightingale is offered as a symbol of the singer’s passionate longing for a distant beloved, which is understood to be both worldly and unworldly. This set features two such examples, followed by traditional folk songs performed instrumentally. Zeynep from Sivas-Kangal Zeynep bu güzellik var mı soyunda Zeynep is this beauty apparent in your ancestors as well? Elvan elvan güller biter başında All kinds of roses blossom on your head Arife gününde bayram ayında On the day before the Holy days and during the Holy days Ne ötersin from Samsun-Havza Ne ötersin dertli dertli What do you sing so sorrowfully? Dayanamam zara bülbül I can’t bear the bitterness, nightingale Hem dertliyim hem firkatlı I’m in pain and separated from her Yakma beni nara bülbül Don’t consume me with your cries, nightingale Atabarı (instrumental) from Artvin Seherde bir bülbül (instrumental) from Şenkaya IV. Gören bizi sanır deli / People who see us think we’re mad The traditions of another Turkish group, the Bektaşi, are similar to those of the Alevi, and in modern times the two groups are often even represented as one: Alevi-Bektaşi. But their histories are quite distinct. After 1826, following the official suppression of the Bektaşi (a religious, rather than ethnic group), the order was forced to go underground. The Bektaşi that survived this period eventually evolved closer to the Alevi and today they display more of the characteristics of the Alevi than of the pre-1826 Bektaşi Sufi order. Not surprisingly, the Alevi-Bektaşi link also finds its way into the songs of the aşık. This set opens with an Alevi deyiş, followed by two nefes—songs characteristic of the Bektaşi sufi orders of pre- 1826. The songs all share a common reverence for the figure of Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed, aligning them more closely with Shi’a rather than mainstream Sunni Islam. Haydar Text: Yemini Dediler zi-keramet kanı Haydar They say Haydar (Ali) is from the lineage of wonder Dayanılmaz derdin dermanı Haydar… Haydar (Ali) is the answer to unbearable pain… Şah-ı merdan Text: Pir Sultan Abdal Nerde Pir Sultan’ım nerde Where is he, my Pir Sultan, where? Canım feda olsun merde That brave one who deserves my life? Yemenden öte bir yerde In a place beyond Yemen Hala Düldül savaştadı… “Duldul” [Hz. Ali’s horse] is still at war… Zahid bizi tan eyleme Text: Muhyi Zahid bizi tan eyleme You rigid believer don’t criticize us Hak ismin okur dilimiz Our tongues recite the name of God Sakın efsane söyleme Don’t talk of myths Hazret'e varır yolumuz… Our path leads to the Lord… V. Vakıtsız açılmış güllere döndüm / I became a flower untimely bloomed It’s not unusual to find the asık performing the ritual songs of the Alevi, the music for the sacred dances often referred to as semah. This set features some of the best known examples of songs used in the semah. Zulfu kaküllerin (güzelleme) from Pertek Zülfü kaküllerin amber misali… The lock of hair is like the ambergris… Siyah percemlerin from Pertek Siyah perçemlerin gonca yüzlerin Your black locks and face like a rosebud Garip bülbül gibi zar eyler beni... Have turned me into a miserable nightingale... Ötme bülbül Text: Pir Sultan Abdal Ötme bülbül ötme, şen değil bagım Do not sing, nightingale, my garden is not a cheerful place Dost senin derdinden ben yana yana I’m burning from the pain you have caused me, O Friend Tükendi fitilim eridi yağım My wick is exhausted, my oil is spent Dost senin derdinden ben yana yana… I’m burning from the pain you have caused me, O Friend… VI. Ötme bülbül yarım haste / Do not Sing nightingale, my love is ill In this final set both ensembles join forces on two songs meditating on the loss of a loved one. Mamoş from Elazığ Pencereden bir taş geldi A stone came through the window Ben sandım ki Mamoş geldi I thought that Mamoş had come Uyan Mamoş Mamoş uyan Wake up Mamoş, wake up Başımıza ne iş geldi… See what trouble has come upon us… Bulbulum altın kafeste from Selanik Bülbülüm altın kafeste My nightingale is in a golden cage Öter aheste aheste He sings gently Ötme bülbül yarım haste... Do not sing, nightingale, my love is ill... Program notes and translations by M. Sanlıkol, R. Labaree The Musicians İsmail H. Demircioglu (voice, saz) is a graduate of ITU Turkish music State Conservatory. He has worked in such groups like the Ruhi Ayangil Turkish Music Orchestra and the Ruhi Su Dostlar Korosu. Mr. Demircioglu has been working with Erkan Ogur throughout the past ten years. Engin Günaydın (voice, percussion) has a degree in classical percussion from Bilkent University in Turkey, and is studying at Berklee. Robert Labaree (çeng, voice, percussion) is chair of the Music History Department of New England Conservatory and Vice President of DÜNYA. Cem Mutlu (voice, percussion), a member of the DÜNYA board, plays jazz and a variety of world musics with groups in the Boston area. Erkan Oğur (voice, kopuz) has performed with the likes of Mazhar Fuat Ozkan, Bülent Ortaçgil and Djivan Gasparian. He has given his unique and unmistakable sound to such unforgettable tracks as "Gullerin icinden" and "Bir Omurluk Misafir". He invented the fretless classical guitar and introduced the world the beauty of this unique sound. Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol (voice, ud, saz, duduk), completed his doctorate in composition at New England Conservatory in 2004, is a composer and jazz pianist and president of DÜNYA. DÜNYA (the Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Greek word for "world") is a non-profit, tax exempt educational organization founded in Boston in 2004. Its goal is to present a contemporary view of a wide range of Turkish traditions, alone and in interaction with other world traditions, through performance, recording, publication and other educational activities. DÜNYA seeks to work with a wide range of cultural and religious organizations and musical groups, but relies on no particular political, governmental or religious affiliation or support of any kind.
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